1. Field of the Invention
To be disposed on an aircraft passenger seat, and especially an aft facing aircraft passenger seat, a recline safety lock assembly which does not add a substantial amount of complex, cost, and/or heavy additional parts to existing seat frame designs, but which functions to substantially prevent rear reclining of a seat back portion of the aircraft seat during an (FAA) crash test wherein a substantial reclining load is exerted on the seat back portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) places very strict requirements and guidelines on the structures of all aircraft as well as aircraft components, and including aircraft passenger seats. Aircraft passenger seats in particular are subjected to a number of different FAA tests designed to assure that the aircraft seat will be reasonable safe in a crash scenario, and these tests frequently expose weaknesses in the structural makeup of the aircraft seat. Most passenger seats in aircraft will recline, and it is known that the area where the seat back pivotally connects to the seat foundation is susceptible to weakening and failure during a crash testing. Thus, certain FAA tests focus on the ability of the seat back portion to be maintained in its upright position during a simulation of a crash.
At least one FAA test simulates a forward moving aircraft involved in a crash, and the resulting, substantial impact forces will act to propel the seat back portion of a passenger seat in a forward direction. In most commercial aircraft, all passenger seats usually face the front of the aircraft and for this reason, passengers in potential crash situations are instructed to place their seats in a fully upright position. Also, most conventional passenger seats have been specifically structured to resist the forward compressing of the seat back portion upon a substantial crash test load. Generally in the art, in order to provide for appropriate reclining of the seat back portion and securing of the seat back portion in a desired recline orientation, a recline cylinder or like recline mechanism is used. This recline cylinder is secured to the seat side rails of the seat foundation forward of the joint between the side rails of the seat back portion and the seat side rails of the seat foundation portion. This recline cylinder, not only functions to permit the appropriate reclining, but also functions to prevent forward collapsing of the seat back portion. Specifically, the recline cylinder is secured in place to the seat side rails and has a piston like action such that once it is fully compressed (i.e. the seat is in the full upright orientation) the recline cylinder functions to prevent the side rails of the seat back portion from pivoting further forward. In fact, the recline cylinders have proven such an advantage that often a pair of the recline cylinders are used at opposing sides of the seat foundation so as to provide a balanced resistance to the forward pivoting of the seat back portion.
However, in the field of private aircraft, many components are customized, including passenger seats and their arrangement within an aircraft. Frequently, a private aircraft owner will require that some or many passenger seats be placed in an aft facing orientation, contrary to what occurs in commercial aircraft. In the crash situation, the impact forces which act upon an aft facing aircraft passenger seat will still cause the seat back portion to move in a forward direction but given its orientation, the seat back would be propelled into a hyper-reclined position. Additionally, it should be noted that the FAA recently revised several testing standards with the result being in order to pass FAA testing, aircraft passenger seats are now subjected to and must withstand substantially increased crash test forces and loads. Consequently, many existing aircraft passenger seats are not able to pass the new FAA tests, and the effects of the FAA revisions are just now beginning to affect the manufacturers in this specialized art, as well as the choices available to consumers. Presently in the art, only the normal functioning of the recline cylinder functions to limit any further reclining of the seat back portion. The recline cylinder, however, is only structured to prevent reclining under the normal weight of an individual passenger sitting in the seat, and up to a 9 G load which was the maximum required load under the old FAA regulations. As such, conventional designs, which incorporate only a recline cylinder, are not able to resist the increased reclining test load as exerted under the latest FAA dynamic test requirements.
Accordingly, there is a substantial need in the art to provide a solution to this newly identified problem in the art relating to aircraft passenger seat construction, and in particular custom, aft facing, aircraft passenger seat construction. The device of the present invention functions to provide the needed reinforcement without adding substantial weight or cost to the aircraft seat construction.